Mobile dwelling



C. D. WILLSON MOBILE DWELLING Dec. 11, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.2, 1948 Dec. 11, 1951 C. D. WILLSON MOBILE DWELLING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Feb. 2, 1948 \N a r 3 M\\ M wmfi n c. D. WILLSON MOBILE DWELLING 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 2, 1948 Dec. 11, 1951 c. D. WILLSON 2,577,336

MOBILE DWELLING Filed Feb. 2, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 11,1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Cor-win D. Willson, Flint, Mich.

22 Claims.

This invention relates to shelter of the mobile type and, moreparticularly, to a space-saving family-dwelling having an extremelystrong and stifi body of light weight and dimensions legal of commontransit as a road vehicle and interiorly divided to comprise, in theeasy riding zone between the back of the front wheels and the front ofthe rear wheels, two fixed bedrooms having floors at less than storyheight above the floor for a three-room house-keeping apartment ofliving-dining lounge, kitchenette and bath, the lounge being longer thanthe width of the body. This invention is a division of my abandonedapplication Serial #437,708 filed April 4, 1942.

To our uncivilized Indians a teepee was a mobile dwelling. Patents havebeen issued describing camping vehicles each consisting of a stockautomobile chassis carrying a body designed for vacation, 1. e.,temporary, housekeeping and with a minimum provision for thespaciousness and sanitation we moderns have come to associate withhabitation. As used herein, the expression mobile dwelling is intendedto define, as anew product for industrial fabrication, a much morespacious shelter structure adequate both in motion and when parked forthe sanitary year-round private habitation of an entire average Americanfamily and in a manner ensuring almost that degree of group comfort andindividual privacy to be found in the average four-to-five room fixedapartment. The invention concerns the totality of means whereby so muchlivability is concentrated in a space substantially less than commonlyis available in fixed houses to the average American family butsubstantially more than is available in trailer coaches. Whereas thelatter are designed only for use when parked, "mobile dwelling" as usedherein defines means implementing family dwelling comfort andexhilaration in motion.

Prior art describes vehicles more than ample in size to have beensubdivided and equipped for adequate dwelling comfort in motion and forindividual privacy, had this been their primary purpose. These includerail vehicles designed not for constant family use in private habitationbut for-public and intermittent individual use in transport. One patentdescribes a double-deck rail coach having an overall height nearlydouble, and a length seven times its width. Such a coach, within thelimits of size and weight permissible on rail lines, could enclose12,000 cu. ft. of space which is equal to that of a fixed dwellingapartment having a floor area 30 x 40. Even a conventional single decksteel rail coach fitted as a combined club-diner and Pullman sleepercould serve a railroad executive's family Ill 2 and retinue as atemporary dwelling. But its length of exceeds the 30 permitted roadvehicles, just as its width of 10' exceeds the 8' width permitted roadvehicles. In addition, its weight of 56 tons would exceed the loadpermitted on many highways and its cost of $50,000 would put it farbeyond consideration for dwelling use by the average American family. Noinventive skill would be required to adapt so much space to adequatefamily habitability. It is apparent that rail vehicles may be made sovery long because they run on a relatively level track tending tomaintain a fixed clearance between the bottom of the vehicle and theroadbed. In the raiicoach described in the aforesaid patent, thedistance between the back of the front wheels and the front of the rearwheels is seen to measure five times the width of the coach. Such a longwheelbase is made impractical in low-slung road vehicles intended totraverse uneven terrain. A primary object of my invention is a low-slungvehicular shelter designed to be safely driven off improved roads andinto woods and fields and having the distance between the back of thefront wheelwells and the front of the rear' wheelwells not substantiallyexceeding twice the body width.

In a road vehicle, the total in-transit body volume is limited to thatpossible under the restrictions as to size and weight imposed by statuteand by bridge strengths, overhead obstructions and hairpin road turns.Analysis of these limitations indicates that a safe average of maximumin-transit dimensions for road vehicles is: length, 30; width, 8';height, to clear a 12' underpass. With allowances for road-clearance andstreamlining, these overall dimensions permit a maximum in-transit bodyvolume of around 2,500 cu. ft., or from one-third to one-fifth thatpossible in a railcoach. Thus, another object of the invention is avehicular shelter having a lightweight and highly torque-resistant bodyshell of under 2,500 cu. ft. volume and meeting in-transit limitationsas to size and weight covering common road vehicles.

Another object of the invention is a multideck automotive land cruiserhaving a top closely clearing a 12' underpass and a wheelbase notsubstantially longer than twice the width of the body; and having aninside supporting framework and an outside supported shell, parts of onebeing spaced from parts of the other, and rigid weblike ties fixedhorizontally and vertically between the spaced parts and interiorlydividing the body into several major subdivisions at diflferentintercommunicating levels.

Another object oftheinvention is a spacesaving extensible mobiledwelling having a rigid body lnterlorly divided into fixed upper andlower heights on opposite sides of the lengthwise center axis of thebody, a substantial lengthwise area of the body rooi' closely clearing a12 underpass and being flatter than the outwardly and downwardly curvingopposite fixed portions of the roof, and upper of said floors extendingbetween and below said ceilings and at less than story height from thelengthwise roof area: a greater part of that area comprising openingclosures upwardly adjustable, as by tilting, to increase the normalvertical space directly thereunder.

Another object of the invention is a road vehicle body of substantialsize having a highly twistresistant backbone member like a keelson orbox-girder in a midpart thereof and between upwardly forked widelyspread opposite ends fixed to end extremities of the body at asubstantial distance below end-decks fitting into an outward bulge thatruns horizontally completely around the body.

Commonly, much of the space directly above and below table tops andbelow beds is wasted. Thus, another object of the invention is thebetter utilization of space commonly of little use in dwellingstructures and the use of parts or the furniture in the basic structureof the dwelling body itself: as for example, the bottom of a legless bedor berth serving directly as the ceiling of a lounge or kitchenettebelow; the ceilings above lounge table and kitchen dresser being of lessthan story height to increase head-height in the story above; the bottomof a dresser top serving directly as ceiling for the bathroom below; andthe like.

Another object of the invention is a low-slung road vehicle body havinga side door between front and rear wheels and at the general level ofthe mainfioor and having the space-saving and weight-reducing andtorque-resisting features of my mobile dwelling in adaptation to meetingsuch other special needs as for mobile display and sales and serviceshops, professional ofllces, field laboratories, travelling clinics,military quarters and adequate to house such specialized activities ontour or parked and in any climate.

These and other novel features and objects of the invention arehereinafter more fully described and claimed, and the preferred form ofsuch a mobile dwelling, automotive land cruiser or multi-' decked roadvehicle is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a floor plan of the dwelling showing the lower story ormainfloor midportion and the end decks at a level less than midwaybetween th lower and upper stories of the body.

Fig. 2 is a floor plan of the upper story.

Fig. 3 is in part a longitudinal section of the dwelling taken on line3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the substructure of the dwelling, including thechassis.

Fig. 5 isa section of the floor taken on line 3-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the structural stifiening of the body, includingthe inner framework spaced from the intermediate side-parts of the outerribs.

Fig. 'l in part is a longitudinal section of the dwelling taken on line1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 oil-"18. 1.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken on line 6-9 0! 1'18. 1.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section taken on line lI-Il of Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section take on line li-ll of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a'view of Fig. 11 with air-scoop open.

The mainfloor and intermediate end decks of the preferred form of mobiledwelling are shown in plan in Fig. 1, in which the rigid outer shell Iis interiorly subdivided for maximum use of the space enclosed. Not morethan two steps up from the roadbed, door 2 in the side of shell I givesdirect entrance into the main lounge A, which is a combined sitting anddining room. In-a-door cabinet 3 serves as opening closure for utilityand storage closet 4 comaining a hot water storage tank 5 in insulatedcovering 8 and shelves 3 above storage tank 8 for fluid wastes andvented by double stack 9 adjacent exterior covering it for shell I.Chairs ll stand one at either side of dresser I2 having a pull-outsegment I3 that serves as writing desk or table top. Spaced double seatsl4 adjacent windows l5 are on opposite sides of demountable table topl6, one end held by wallhooks H, the opposite end suspended by leg isfrom ceiling. Back cushions l9, when desired,

are used to convert double seats into a Pullman berth.

Up three risers 20, forward end deck B stifiens intermediate side partsof columns 2! which are laterally connec.ed with the outwardly bulgingsides of shell I by vertical web-like ties 22 which thus have thecharacter of bulkheads dividing deck B into two parts, the forward parthousing the pair of double driving seats 23 which, in a manner not hereshown, are manipulatable to provide another berth. Seats 23 facetransparent windshield 24, instrument panel 25 and steering wheel 26.The rearward part of deck B comprises wall cabinet 21, wrap closet 28and four more risers 20 to the upper floor or story. The seven risers2th will be referred to as the front stairway and it is apparent thatthe foredeck B is an enlarged landing in this stairway.

At the mainfloor level and between lounge A and foredeck B is insulatingscreen 29 for combustion chamber 30 of space-heater having exhaust pipe3| for the products of combustion and surrounded by heat-exchange drumto be described hereinafter. Sliding door in hollow wall 33 may be usedto separate lounge A from kitchenette C containing worktop dresser 34,cupboards 35 and canopy 36 with vent 31 for cookstove 38. Refrigeratorwith worktop 39 stands beside sink 40 that fits demountably into the topof one of the double laundry tubs 4| beside mechanical washer having tub42 adjacent wringer 43 and under demountable worktop l4.

Up three risers 45, rear end deck D has chairs 46 facing cabinet 41 withdrop-leaf tabletop 48 above hatch 49. Down one riser 50 from afterdeck Dis bathroom E with fixed floor 5| having sequentially removable sections52 resting on flange 53 of body-bathing receptacle, here a shallow 5'tub below level of floor 5|. Hinges 54 ermit person entering bathroom E,which has a total floor area only slightly exceeding that occupied inthe average fixed house by the bathtub, to fold back part of the floor,step down into tub, fold up removable sections 52 and place them onadjacent seat of toilet 55 before bathing. Water heater It for tank 5 isvented in stack 9. Removable lavatory tray 51 stands on top of laundrytub I in niche I. in wall between kitchenette C and to lavatory I! sothat they and sink ll are removable to make laundry tubs directlyaccessible on washdays. Stoppered waste outlets 59 may drain directlyin.o tub compartments or, be fitted with short waste pipes (not shown)having resilient stoppered lower ends pushable down into the wasteoutlets of said compartments. Both lavatory and stool stand at levelsfor effective use from floor and above sections 52.

The midportion of the body extends from the foredeck to the afterdeckand has an upper floor extending lengthwise between opposite end decksat less than story height above the lower mainfloor of the body. Up fourrisers 45 from afterdeck D is the upper story. The seven risers 45 willhereinafter be referred to as the rear stairway and it is apparent thatthe afterdeck is an enlarged landing in this stairway.

The upper story is shown in Fig. 2 to comprise two rooms, front bedroomF and back bedroom (3-, each containing a double legless bed 60 with endshelves 6|, clothes-hanging space or closet $2, dresser 63 and chair 84.Doors 65 ensure individual privacy while permitting egress from eitherbedroom by either front or rear Stairways. Bathroom E, insulated bycloset t and kitchenette C from lounge A, is thus accessible tooccupants of bedrooms and both end decks without passing through lounge,and danger of being trapped by fire at levels above the ma'infloor isthus reduced to a minimum.

The problem of heating a moving 1 body is different from that of heatinga parked body and the heating and ventilating of my mobile dwelling mustbe equally eifective under both conditions. Circulation of heated freshoutside air inside the body is obtained by the invention automaticallyby the forward movement of the body. The part played in this byventilating ducts 66 will be hereinafter explained. Duct 61 joins anintake as for exterior air and an intake 69 for interior air with drum32. Electric motor attached to blower-fan housing ii is positioned induct 61. as seen in Fig. 3. Fresh exterior air under high pressure andvelocity is deflected under the forward movement of the body by airscoopopening closure 12 for intake 68 into duct 61 and downwardly throughdrum 32 which has lower opening 73 near floor it of foredeck B. Whenexhaust pipe 31 is hot from products of combustion, forward movement ofbody produces a heatexchanging downdraft through drum 32 andopening-closure 11 may be adjusted to permit a desired mixture of freshouter air and heated interior air to flow into the blowerfan housing H,the electric motor 10 is turned on by switch Ia and the downdraft indrum is thus mechanically maintained. j Great amounts of air could notbe forced into the body with all windows and doors closed by theautomatic means described without expelling from the body an equalamount of air. Just as the forward movement of the body is utilized toforce fresh air through the heat-exchanger into the body, so the samemeans is used to suck air from the body to maintain a normal pressure of5 air in the body. Ventilating ducts 66 at the lower ends have openings18 and at the upper ends openings 80 in comb or undercut roofstep 8 IThe entire top and side portion of shell I above front windows l5slantbackwardly and outwardly 1 and roofstep 8| extends from down oneside and over the top to down the opposite side of this forward topportion of the shell. As the body moves rapidly forward a stream of airat high velocity passes over the top and sides of roofstep II to createan area of subnormal air pressure or suction therebehind at 82 intowhich exhaust pipe 3| is vented. This provides a draft adequate for theremoval of products of combustion. A retractible chimney top 83 coactivewith upper end of pipe 3| will be hereinafter further described. Freshair forced in at intake 68 meets air in the body at normal pressuresince an equal amount of air is simultaneously being sucked from thebody via openings 80. By this means,

the emciency of the heat-exchange, dependent on the downdraft in drum32, and adequate ventilation are maintained by the forward movement ofthe body and with closed doors and windows. Opening closure 84 admitsexterior air when desired near feet of front seat occupants.

Bottoms of seats 23 are mounted on separate torque-arms 85 fixed toresilient torsion rods 86 7 each having an opposite and anchored by arm81 to floor 14 whereby back and bottom of each seat 23 move as a unitunder road shock. Mainiioor a keelson and being hereinafter more fullydescribed. Front bumper 90 protects storage compartment H under theforedeck and rear bumper 9| projects from power-drive compartment Iunder the afterdeck and accessible by 5 hatch 49. Opening closure 92gives access to compartment H. Airscoops 93 back of a pair of rearwheelwells 94 spaced on opposite sides of and at a short distance fromthe back end of the body, carry air picked up athigh'velocity throughducts 9B and through radiator96 into the area of lower air pressurebehind the body. A similar pair of front wheelwells 94b are spaced onopposite sides of, and at a short distance from the front end of thebody. In order to insure sufficient road-clearance over rough terrainfor such a low-slung body, the distance between front and rearwheelwells does not exceed twice the body width. (Note: It is obviousthat should it be desired to utilize a body in other respects simioo larto body shell I for a trailer drawn by truck tractor, storagecompartment H could be shiftedto the position of compartment I and thespace now occupied by compartment H could be used for the supportinghitch and rear end of truck tractor.)

The lower story is lighted by windows l5 and the upper story by glazedapertures 91 in the longitudinal skeletal-beam side members 98 of a Vlantern roof having fiattish top 99. Ceiling I00 7 at story height abovemainfloor 88 comprises the actual bottoms of legless beds or berths 60and at opposite ends ceiling N10 is bounded by diagonal wells Hll overthe stairs between mainfloor II and opposite end decks. storage space N2in the stairwell slope of the roof over the afterdeck is and stabilizingsystem shown in the drawings and not herein claimed per se, may be ofthe simplest. Tilting beam II. is mounted in lengthwise tapered slot llloi. backbone II to pivot on tulcrum lit which lies in transverse turningaxis l-oa oi the backbone. The front end of beam II. is rleidly Joinedby yoke III to {rent suspensionarms Ill and the rear end oi beam III isrilidly joined by yoke I21 to rear suspension arms I22. Front suspensionarms carry steering joints III and stub axles I24 and rear suspensionarms have pivotal attachments II! to the housing I (or driving axlesil'l. Hydraulic shock absorbers Ill damp relative movements orsuspension arms and spread opposite ends or the backbone and slottedrestrainers III fixed to backbone hold the outer ends of the suspensionarms to predetermined up and down movement in a radius centered onfulcrum Ill. Rubber bushings around opposite ends of tilting beam litand between plates Ill and Ill are not here shown.

Prime-mover ill with mainshart Ill is geared through change-speedmechanism and difierential III to driving axles I11 and back end oiprime mover is supported by transverse resilient member I" and shacklesI on spread ends Ill. Front suspension arms are operatively connectedwith torque-arms III of torsion stabilizer Ill mounted in bushings Illtransversely oi spread front ends of backbone l0. Fuel storage tank Illwith filling inlet III is supported on backbone in counterbalance withwaste-storage tank I.

In the section of mainfloor shown in Fig. 5, rib-like stifleners I forfloor ll taper outwardly and upwardly on opposite sides of backbone Nand have their deeper inner ends rigidly fixed thereto. In crosssection, stifieners Ill comprise triangular metal loops supportingdecking III which is surfaced with door covering Ill, such as attached.

Asseen in Fig. 0. columns II directly support.thetoptrameorbackbonellandbowedrib-like columns 2! are fixed betweenrelatively smooth ter of gravity low, it

sevencolumnsll substantiallyinthelengthwise center axis or the body andat a level approximately midway between backbone and topirame. Top edgeor joist or web-like tie it. supports inner margin of ceiling ill havingouter marginfixedtohorisontalstiilener llefixedtoside stifienerslllroronesideoibody shell i; whereas bottom edgeor ioist or web-like tiem sup-, portsinnermarginoteeiling lllhavingouter margin fixed tohoriaontal'sflfiener III fixed to side stifieners Ill on the oppositeside or body shell I. Side stifieners I may comprisehibislarribsorelementsiormedinorjoinedtothe rigidcovering lloishelllandsimilartoiloor stifleners I. Llkethefioor. the sidesandends or theshell are insulated with a material similar to that shown at I. Inaddition to the braelnss against distortion described, the bodyisalsobraoedbytheslightdownwardslopeo! the mainfioor from opposite endsthereof and towardtransverseturningaxis lm,andbythe oppositely slantedstairways, and by an outwardearpetorllnoleumandunderdeekingilhfltizsbulgeinthesbellextendinghorisontallyeomaxisi-k is at story height above mainfioor 00,

whereas ceiling I50 is at less than said height from the mainfloor. onthe opposite side of .the axis except above bathroom E where the ceilingcomprises the underside of dresser except for diagonal well I I overentrance into bathroom from afterdeck'. lengthwise, ceiling I00 extendsbetween diagonal stairwells 'IOI and comprises the actual bottoms of endto end double.

. legless beds or berths 50. Upper surface of ceiling I50 provides theupper story floor and berths 60 are at bed-height above this floor.Floor space in lounge A under ceiling Illhas ample head-height to permitcomfortable occupation of seats I4. Cabinet 3, storage closet 4 andparts of kitchenette C positioned under ceiling I50 are directlyaccessible from the storyheight; areas under ceiling I00. The verticalspace directly above the inner marginal parts normally slightly lessthan the height ofthe average adult American malein erect posture tomeet limitations on overall height in transit imposed by statute. Evenunder i n-transit conditions, the central passage between opposite enddecks in the upper story has ample headheight for women and children ofaverageheight in erect posture and for everyone in sitting or recliningposture which is the main purpose of bedrooms.

Oil the highway the vertical space above the upper passage is extensibleby tilting upwardly either one or both closures I52 for areas NOPQ andPQRS. It is to be noted that together both closures I52 coverpractically the entire upper passage and adjusting the closures upwardlyincreases the vertical space of the passage to more than the standingheight of an adult male. Suitable fiyscreens and/or aperturedside-curtains (not shown) may be fastened over" the open gap thus formedbetween fixed parts'of the roof and the upward adjusted closure and theventilation and lighting of the upper story greatly increased. Ortransparent portions I53 may be provided in closures I52 for thispuropse. Heat that has risen to top of ceiling I00 may fiow throughopening closures or registers I54 to escape through apertures 91 orraised closures I52. Risers in" front and rear stairs are inclined at anangle to increase tread-depth and to reduce to a minimum the waste spaceusually found under stairways. Retractible chimney top is shown in Fig.7 in raised position as suited to use parked oil the highway. but inFig. 8 radius 1' indicates how the chimney top 83 is turned down toretracted position shown in Fig. 10 behind comb, 8| and between openingsI55 in roofstep which serve in transit to ventilate upper story. In theretracted position, orifice I56 in smoke pipe 3| is open as described inan area of sub-normal air pressure or suction back of said comb.

Fuel-oil tank I51 under stairway and between the inner sides of thefront wheelwells 94b is fillable by pipe I58 closed by cap I59. Meteringvalve I50 feeds oil from this tank through pipe I6I into burner I52 bygravity and bumer I62 is also between inner sides of the spacedfront'wheelwells 00b. Ventilating ducts .66 may be used to suck air fromor carry fresh air into the body by adjusting the trailing edge 75heating, ventilating and sanitary facilities, .in-

- of ceiling I50 in the upper story of the body is 10 I05 of the sidesof comb II as shown in enlarged detail in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, where thetrailing edge lil-isseen to comprise a V-fiap with pivot Ill betweenouter wing I05 and inner wing I00. Edge III of outer wing rests-normallyon flange I00 and flush with roof I 05 forwardly of the flap. Inner winghas clcsable but normally open apertures I10 and edge III tits againstshoulder ll! in roof I00. When the flap is'in position shown in Fig. 11.forward motion of the bodycauses to flow at super-normal pressure overroof I00 indirection of the arrow. The resulting sub-normal pressurecreated back of wing Ill draws air from the interior of body throughopening II at lower end of duct 00 and upwardly and-out throughapertures I10. Close these apertures and tilt flap to position shown inFig. 12 and air at super-normal pressure is diverted downwardly throughduct 55 and out through opening I0 into the body. This flap permitsmeeting the directly opposite conditions encountered in winter andsummer driving.

Lavatory, sink, laundry tubs are connected through trap I10 and pipeI'll with waste-tank 0 and bathing receptacle is sufllciently raisedabove the bottom of stifi'eners I40 to be insulated and drain intowaste-tank. Another waste-tank I15 may serve toilet-stool to retainsolids therein.

' When'the body is parked, all utilities available at the parkingsite,-such as water under pressure, electricity, telephone and sanitarysewer, may be simply joined to all utilities available in the body by aunitary utilities connector (not shown) such as I described in PopularScience magazine of August 1934. In transit and when temporarily parked,tank 0 receives all fluid wastes in a sanitary manner and vented bystack 0 till they can be suitably voided; and it is obvious thatavailability of a prime mover in a'mobile dwelling provides means whenfar from essential utilities the waste heat for space-heating and otherpur-- From the above detailed description it is apparent that thestructure achieves each of the stated objects of the invention. Mymobile dwelling as specifically defined and described clearlydifferentiates from the automotive clamping vehicles andtrailer coachesof much smaller volume intended for temporary domestic use when parked.My mobile dwelling as specifically defined and described also clearlydifierentiates from the very large, heavy and costly rail vehiclesdesigned for public transport and intermittent individual use. Theinvention concentrates as many as live housekeeping rooms exclusive ofclosets and the like together with all essential accessories betweenbulkheads above the nearest extremities of fore and aft roadwheels andin the easy-riding zone therebetween, the bulkheads spaced at a distanceone from the other not sub? stantially exceeding twice the in-transitmaximum width of a body legal of passage on the average public highwayas a common road vehicle. As many as four double berths in four zones ofprivacy are available for the accommodation of as many as eightoccupants. This provides more than ample accommodation for the dwellingcomfort of an entire family of larger than the American average size anda greater degree of privacy that is commonly available in the averagefixed urban apartment. Finally, the invention provides shelter ofconstant use in habitation and ll eluding mechanical launderingfacilities. as useful when the dwelling is on the highway in motion aswhen parked on or oil the highway.

Study of the prior art fails to discover a single instance of theseveral rooms of a sanitary housekeenins dwelling apartment and of asine apprcaching dimensions meeting accepted standards for health anddecency being concentrated in the easy-riding rone between the back ofthe front wheels and the front of the rear wheels and at the generalfloor level of the center side parts of the roedwheels, much less aspace-saving apartment including facilities for human repose in uprightand horizontal position in so many spacious cones of privacy and forspace heating and for forced duct ventilation and for the cold storageand heating of food and water and for the washing of dishes and themechanical laundering of clothes and for tub-bathing and for sanitaryelimination and for the temporary storage in transit of fiuid wastes.The novelty of the invention resides in its implementation of adequatemobile dwelling in private as contrasted with the temporary usescontemplated bv camping vehicles and the intermittent public usescontemplated by rail vehicles.

The invention makes possible for the first time a house-sized mobiledwelling capable of being wholly completed in the factory. delivered onits own power, sold and financed without land entanglement. used with aminimum of manipulation. re .t'radedinandresold exactly like a motorcar.It implements the growing passion for travel in a manner nevercontemplated by the prior art. And in an atomic era. when the 1' threatof being blown to bits hangs over our most congested areas, it providesa form of family dwelling which can vacate such areas under threat ofattack and implement the mass diliusionwhichlsasbeingtheonlyeilectivesafeguard to life and property- The drawings, beingillustrative only. are more or less diagrammatic in character toshow-the preferred relation of the parts to the whole and it is to beobserved that changa may-be made in certain parts without vitallyaltering the character of the whole or departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims; and alchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency oftheclaimsarethereforeintendedto'beembracedHavingthusbroadlydefinedandfullydescribed my invention. its utilitymobile and immobile and mode of operation. what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

i. A housekeeping structure housed in a lightweight and highlytorque-resistant road vehicle body including a supporting framework anda framework-supported outer shell. uprightrectilinearpartsofonebeingspacedfromupright curvilinear parts of theother, and rigid web-like ties fixed between and stiilening the spacedparts dividing the shell into fixed major subdivi- .slons at diiferentlevels. several having both a width and length at least equalling theinside width of the body; ceilings for subdivisions at spaced ceilings.

2., An automotive land cruiser having a supinchiding outward bulgingopposite sides and {orward and rearward bulging opposite ends;intermediate parts of said framework inwardly spaced from intermediateupright parts of said shell; horizontal and vertical web-like ties finedbetween said frameworkand said shell and dividing the habitablespaceinto several maior subdivisions at diiferent levels; the forwardvertical members or said framework standing between a foredrivingdeckatintermediateofsaidlevelsanda main lounge at lower. and abedroom at upper of said'levels; and the rearward vertical members ofthe framework standing between an alt observation deck at intermediateor said levels and a kitchenette and a bathroom at lower. and anotherbedroom at upper of said levels.

3. A rigid body housing a space-saving extensible dwelling apartment andhaving a fixed width and length legal for a common road vehicle; saidbody including an upper passage and a framework rigidly supporting saidpassage on ground-engaging means fore and sit; said framework comprisinga rigid topframe and a keelsonlike bottom girder and spaced columnsfixed therebetween, and said topframe having crossties fixed betweenapertured side members to define two large rectangular open areasdirectly above said passage, and tilteble opening closures for saidareas and upwardly opening to extend the vertical space above saidpassage.

4. A space-saving automotive vehicle having a body and roadwheels fore.aft and on opposite sides thereof, and means making said bodylightweight and highly twist resistant and including a twist-resistantbackbone having a midpart comprising two channel members laterallyclosely spaced and joined to provide a box-girder-lihskeelsoninthelongitudinalcenteraxisofthe body; said backbone havingopposite ends spread to connect diagonally opposite lower extremities ofthe body. and columns fixed between said spread opposite ends and thebody top at the corners of a rectangular space approximatingtheheightandsubstantiallylessthanthewidth of the body. and other columnsfixed between said backbone and said body top and supporting anintermediate joist-like member at a distancebothfromsaidbackboneandfromsaidbodytopiessthantheerectheightofaneverageamuicanadultmalaandasymmetricallycurvilineucovering for said body and outwardly and downwardly'diverging from theupper ends of said columns. and rigid ties fixed between said coveringand said columns and interiorly dividingthebodyintoanumbcrcfmeiormbdivisicns both above and below saidintermediate joistlike member; and other means stiilening said o againsttorque and comprisinspeirsofoppositely inclined stairways above saidspread oppositeends: each stairway having a landing fined in a decidedoutward bulge in opposite ends and opposite sides of the body.

5. Ahighiytwist-resistantbodyhavingarelr tively lightweight shell androadwheel support including several columns fore and aft and a baskbonehaving widely spread opposite ends each supporting an upper division ofthe midportion of the body on some of said columns; opposite sides ofsaid shell outwardly. and opposite ends of said shell forwardly andbeckwardly divergingdownwardlyfromthetopsofsaidcolumm and being returnedtoward the bottoms thereof at the level of maximum body width andlength. and a body-stiifening bulge extending horiscntally around theshell at said level and well above the bottom thereof; and doorssupported on and at some distance above said spread opposite ends andfitting into said bulge to diffuse twist on said backbone widely over aconsiderable combined end and side area of said shell above saidbackbone.

6. A space-saving road vehicle having-a rigid outer shell and roadwheelsin wheelwells fore and aft and on opposite sides of the shell andcolumns adjacent the wheelwells and rigid ties between said shell andsaid columns, some of said ties comprising bulkheads one immediatelyback of the front roadwheels and another immediately forward of the rearroadwheels, and a ceiling for the midportion of the shell between saidbulkheads; different areas of said ceiling being fixed at differentlevels above the general level of a main floor betweensaid bulkheads:most of the vertical space below one higher area of said ceiling on oneside of the longitudinal center axis of the shell and part of thevertical space below another higher area of said ceiling on the oppositeside of said axis being of story height; and the vertical space belowthe balance of said ceiling being of less than story height; the totalspace between said bulkheads and below said ceiling being divided andfixedly equipped to comprise a two-room-and-bath housekeeping apartment,and the lower area of said ceiling comprising the underside of a floorfor an upper division of said midportlon, and part of said higher areaof ceiling comprising the bottom of a berth accessible at bed-heightfrom the ad- Jacent floor, and part of said higher area of celling onthe opposite side of said axis comprising the underside of a dresser topaccessible at dresser top height from the adjacent floor.

"I. In a road vehicle, a rigid space-saving body including a supportingframework and a framework-supported outer shell, columnar parts of onebeing spaced from upright covering parts of the other, and rigidweb-like ties fixed between and stiffening the spaced parts and dividingthe shell both horizontally and vertically into a number of majorsubdivisions at lower, intermediate and upper levels; one of said tiescomprising a berth bottom and another comprising a transverse bulkhead;and a stairway between said levels and positioned athwart lower andupper openings in said bulkhead, and stair-wells havin oppositelyinclined ceilings above said stairway: the ceiling of one well of saidstairway on one side of said bulkhead slanting upwardly beginning at thehorizontal plane in which the berth bottom lies, and the ceiling of theother well of said stairway on the opposite side of the bulkheadfollowing the upward slant of the top of the shell.

8. In an automotive dwelling clearing a highway underpass of legalminimum height, a symmetricallycurvilinear body and pairs of roadwheelsspaced from each other fore and aft a distance not exceeding twice thewidth of the body; said body comprising an outer shell includingupwardly curved intermediate side parts, and a roadwheel-supportedframework spaced therefrom and including columnar elements between topand bottom frames; and vertical and horizontal web-like ties fixedbetween said elements and said side parts and dividing the shell,between said pairs of roadwheels, into rooms at upper and lower levels;two upper rooms having each a width and a length approximating theinside width of the shell, and a lower room having a widthapproximating, and a length exceeding, the

--inside width of the shell, and having a floor astride the lengthwisecenter axis of the body at 14 the approximate level of the radialcenters of the roadwheels.

9 A mobile body of fixed width legal of common transit on the publichighway and comprisin: alightweight outer shell having curved sideportions and forwardly and rearwardly bulging end portions, and aframework having for a top a ventilator frame including a rigid pair ofiongitudinal members held spaced by crossties, and for a bottom a highlytwist-resistant backbone including widened opposite ends and akeelson-like midpart, and columns having top and bottom extremitiesfixed to fore and aft and intermediate parts of said ventilator frameand of said backbone; and vertical and horizontal web-like ties fixedbetween said columns and said side and end portions to bring said shelland framework into highly coactive resistance to harmful rack in roughtransit.

10. A double-deck road vehicle for driving safely off the highway andhaving a rack-resistant body on roadwheels fore and aft and includingoppositely inclined pairs of body-bracing membets on opposite sides ofthe transverse center axis of the body, each of the pairs comprising asingle flight of stairs upwardly inclined toward and having risersupwardly inclined away from said axis, and a torque-resistant bottomframe member, the top parts thereof under said stairs upwardly divergingto slant away from said axis.

11. A rack-resistant road vehicle body several times longer than wideand having a roof clearing a 12 foot underpass over end compartments oneextending considerably ahead of the forewheels I and the other extendingconsiderably behind the aftwheels, and a bumper-to-bumper frame withinthe bottom of the body and comprising a highly torque-resistantmidportion projecting below said bottom centrally lengthwise thereof toclosely clear passage over uneven ground and slanting up behind andbetween the forewheels and up ahead of and between the aftwheels tosupport opposite end portions of said frame extending under saidcompartments at a general level above the top side of said midportion toincrease clearance under the bumpers, and communicating passages betweensaid compartments at upper and lower levels, the lower including a floorresting on said top side of said midportion, and the upper in- 50eluding a floor at less than story height from said roof.

12; A road vehicle having a two-story body on J roadwheels fore and aftand closely clearing an underpass of legal minimum height, said body in-5 eluding two compartments extending a considerable distance ahead ofthe forewheels and two compartments extending a considerable distancebehind the aftwheels, one each of said two compartments of story height;and a rigid frame ex- 60 tending under and between said compartments andincluding a deep and narrow midportion in the bottom of the body, andprojecting keel-like downwardly therefrom and centrally thereof, andhorizontally extending end portions of said bot- 65 tom frame supportedat a level above the upperside of said midportion, and a floor over saidupperside and having a top surface extending from front to rearcompartments at a general level below the bottoms of said endcompartments.

13. A vehicle body for group habitation and having an outer shellcomprising upright curved midparts including forwardly bulgingstiifeners spaced in the front end and backwardly bulging stiffenersspaced in the rear end and outwardly 75 bulging stifieners spaced inopposite sides of the '15 sheILan'dprimarywheelsupportforsaidshell andcomprising a rigid framework much narrower and shorter than said shelland including upper and lower beam-like members and columns havingopposite ends dxed between said members; some of said columns and one ofsaid memberslyinggenerallyinthesameverticalplaneasthelengthwisecenteraxisofsaidshclhand rigid horisontal and verticalweblike ties includingailoorandabulkheadiixedbetweenthesidesofsaidcolumnsandsaidcurvedmidpartl and dividing said shell intocompartments at diil'erent levels: the forward one of said columnsinsaidcenteraxisandoneofsaidbuikheadsstandingbetweenaglasedforedeckandaliving lounge at a lower level, andsaid iloor extending between said foredeck and a minor compartment atthe bottom front end of said shell.

14. A vehicle body for group habitation and having an' outer shellcomprising upright curved midparm including forwardly bul ing stiifenersspaced in the front end and backwardly bulging stiifencrs spaced in therear end and outwardly bulgin stifleners spaced in opposite sides of theshell, and primary wheel support for said shell and comprising a rigidframework much narrowerandshorterthansaldshellandinciuding upper andlower beam-like members and columns having opposite ends fixed betweensaid members; some of said columns and one of said members lyinggenerally in the same vertical plane at the lengthwise center axis ofsaid shell, and

horizontal and vertical weblike tiesincludingailoorandabulkheadfixedbetweenthe of said columns and saidcurved midparts dividing said shell into compartments at tlevcls: theaftcolumninsaidaxisand said bulkhead standing between a glazed afterdeckand a kitchen at a lower level, and said floor extending between saidafterdeck and a minor compartment at the bottom rear end of said 15. Avehicle body for group habitation and having an outer shell comprisingupright curved midparts including forwardly bulging stlifenersspacedinthefrontendandbackwardlybidging stiifeners spaced in the rearend and outwardly ul g stiileners spaced in opposite sides of the shell,and primary wheel support for mid shell and comprising a rigid frameworkmuch narrower and shorter than said shell and including upper and lowerand intermediate beam-like members and columns having upper ends fixedbetween said upper and lower members; three of said columns and one ofsaid members lying generallyinthesamcverticalplaneasthe lengthwisecenter axis of the shell and rigidwebliketiesincludingafioorandaceilingabove said floor nxed between'thesides of said columns and said curved midparts and dividing said shellinto compartments at different levels: said three columns and saidintermediate member supportwhavingausableiloorareaextendinglargelyatingsaidiioorandceilingbetweenabedroomat upper and a living lounge andkitchen at lower of said levels.

16. A transit ventilated road vehicle body for group habitation onroadwheels fore and aft andonoppositesidesofthebodyandhavinga sanitaryhousekeeping structure concentrated between said roadwheels and a rooffor said body. said roof forward of the forewheels having anareaslopinggentlybackwardandoutwardand upward to a roof comb, and anabrupt downward and inward step connecting said comb and the the generallevel of the hubs of said roadwhecls. and two ceiling areas at storyheight above said sideofsaidframaandafootpassageeatending betweenoppositeendsoftheupper ofsaidsubbelowsaidspacedceflingareasandtwostwyheilhtbothfromsaidiixed saidiioor area. and said fixedlowersurfaceofsaldroofbehindsaidoomband 1sciosuresfordopenareasandupwardlyraisacnaaa 17 able to increase to story height thevertical space between said foot passage and said raised closures.

21. A road vehicle for group habitation and having a body on roadwheelsfore and aft and an entrance door in one side of the body between theroadwheels on that side; said body interiorly divided for individualprivacy into compartments at fixed upper and lower levels and having afloor connecting two lower compartments at the general level of thebottom of said door, and a celling for said two lower compartments and alegless berth fixed to one side of the body above said door and an upperfloor connecting two upper of said compartments at a level below saidceiling and below the top of said door to make said berth directlyaccessible at slightly greater than normal bed height from said upperfloor; said ceiling comprising the bottom of said berth.

22. A road vehicle for group habitation and having a body on roadwheelsin wheelwells spaced fore and aft a distance not exceeding twice thebody width and a torque-resistant frame within the body bottom andextending between the inner sides of each of thewheelwells, and twotransverse bulkheads stifl'ening said body, one extending upwardly fromsaid frame adjacent the back and inner side parts of one of the frontwheelwells and the other extending upwardly from said frame adjacent thefront and inner side parts of one of the rear wheelwells, and a fioorastride the upper side of said frame between said bulkheads and having atop facing extending from said-bulkheads to opposite sides of the bodyat the general level of the hubs of said roadwheels and spacedatiileners for 18 said fioor. extending from said opposite sides thebody to opposite sides of said frame and fixed thereto and slabs ofaircell composition keyably supported by and between said stiifeners toinsulate said floor and the sanitary fixtures of the housekeepingstructure for group habitation com tained on and above said insulatedfloor between said bulkheads.

CORWIN D. WILLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record n the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 654,926 State July 31. 19001.217.174 Hedley et a1. Feb. 27, 1917 1,580,661 Funk et a1. Apr. 13,1926 1,588,906 Rackham June 15, 1926 1,658,110 Warren Feb. 7, 19281,796,112 McArthur, Jr Mar. 10, 1931 1,861,001 Fageol May 31, 19321,998,697 Austin Apr. 23, 1935 2,075,939 Heyner Apr. 6, 1937 2,101,057Fuller Dec. 7, 1937 2,103,915 Probst Dec. 28, 1937 2,245,789 mm: June17, 1941 2,346,123 Willson Apr. 4, 1944 OTHER REFERENCES "when is aFlivver Not a Flivver," The Evening Star, April 11, 1924, me 17.

A Motor-lounge," "The Autocar." Dec. 18, 1936. Page 1212.

